Micah

There was a man from the hills of Efrayim named Mikhay'hu.

But he returned the money to his mother, and she took 200 pieces of silver and gave them to the metalworker, who made a carved image overlaid with silver which was put in Mikhay'hu's house.

This man Mikhah owned a house of God; so he made a ritual vest and household gods and consecrated one of his sons, who became his cohen.

in Beit-Lechem, but he left there to find another place to live and came to the hills of Efrayim, where eventually he made his way to the house of Mikhah.

Mikhah asked him, "Where are you coming from?" He answered, "I am a Levi from Beit-Lechem in Y'hudah, and I'm looking for a place to live."

Mikhah replied, "Stay with me, and be a father and cohen for me; I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, in addition to your clothing and food." So the Levi went in

After Mikhah consecrated the Levi, the young man became his cohen and stayed there in Mikhah's house.

Mikhah said, "Now I know that ADONAI will treat me well, because I have a Levi for a cohen.

The people of Dan sent five leading men from Tzor'ah and Eshta'ol, representing their whole tribe, to spy out and explore the land. They instructed them, "Go, and explore the land." They came to the hills of Efrayim, to the house of Mikhah, and stayed there.

While they were at Mikhah's house they recognized the accent of the young man, the Levi, so they approached him and said, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is there for you here?"

He answered, "Here's the arrangement Mikhah has made with me: he pays me a wage, and I serve as his cohen."

From there they passed on into the hills of Efrayim and came to Mikhah's house.

They turned off the road and went to the house of the young Levi, that is, to Mikhah's house, and asked how he was doing.

When they were a good distance from Mikhah's house, the men who lived in the houses near his got together [with him], overtook the people from Dan

and began shouting at them. The people from Dan turned and said to Mikhah, "What's wrong with you, that you've gathered such a crowd?"

Then the people from Dan went their way; and when Mikhah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.

So they took what Mikhah had made and his cohen. They came to Layish, to a quiet and trusting people. They attacked, killed them and burned down the city.